 |
Harvest: Fall, 2001
Varietal: Fo Shou
Growing Region: Yong Chun County, Quanzhou Pref., Fujian
10 Gram Sample Available
Overview:
This Fo Shou Oolong comes from Yong Chun County, just north of Anxi County in Southern-Central Fujian province (Yong Chun Google Map). It was picked and processed in the Fall harvest season of 2001 and has been aging in Fujian since then. This tea was only roasted/baked once as the finishing step of processing, then it was packed away in air tight containers and left to age for 10 years.
Flavor & Aroma:
When steeped, this aged Fo Shou unfurls its quite large, twisted leaves and yields a clear, light amber liquor. Initial infusions are marked by an almost musty, peaty or aged flavor and aroma that reminds me a bit of certain aspects of a 10+/- year aged Pu-Erh tea along with background elements of the sweet, spicy, dried fruit (raisins?) and floral-type flavors more commonly associated with oolong teas. With subsequent infusions, the aged flavor fades, allowing the more classic oolong type flavors to take the lead. The hui gan (aftertaste) provides a distinctively aged/sweet feeling that builds slowly over several infusions.
About the name "Fo Shou" (佛手; fóshǒu):
Fo Shou (佛手) translates as "Buddha's Hand" in English. This term can
refer generally to Citron, which is a type/category of citrus fruit, or
it can be used to refer to a specific citrus variety with distinctive
"fingers," known as Buddha's Hand
Citron. Sometimes Fo Shou is translated as "Bergamot," another type of
citron, the oil of which is commonly used in perfumes and in the
flavoring of teas such as Earl Grey. From what I have been told, the
name Fo Shou is given to this tea because the leaves resemble the leaves
of the citron trees found in this part of Fujian, which makes perfect
sense to me because I have never detected a particularly citrusy flavor
in any of the Fo Shou Oolongs I have been lucky enough to try.
Steeping Guideline:
To steep this tea, I really only recommend Gong-Fu style steeping. I personally found that steeping this tea western style with a low leaf to water ratio didn't make a very interesting or dynamic brew, and using more leaf and short steeps really allows the different layers of flavor to slowly reveal themselves, as well as allows the aftertaste to build in the mouth and reveal itself slowly. My preference is to fill my gaiwan about 1/3 full of dry leaves, use water just off the boil, do a quick rinse, and use a 10-15 second first steep followed by gradually increasing the time of the subsequent steeps.
For general steeping
guidelines for the different categories of Chinese tea and a short downloadable "how to"
video on Gong Fu style tea preparation, please visit our Chinese Tea Steeping Guide page.
Weight: 0.025 lb
11.34 grams
0.4 ounces
|
|
|
Infusion
Wet Leaf
Wet Leaf
Dry Leaves
|
| Positive Customer Review |
| mkohkura |
26 Oct 2011, 8:04 PM |
|
Might not be everybody's cuppa, but deliciously unique
I can see how this tea may not be to everyone's taste - it's definitely unique. That being said, it is hard to find an aged tea that has NOT been re-roasted over the years and has instead simply been left to age. As a result, I'm very, very happy to be able to taste the result of careful aging instead of just a roasted flavor. Aroma is peaty and almost cardboard-like with the dried leaves beautifully curled and twisted - every leaf is unique. Taste is malty and peaty, but there's a tiny hint of what I'd describe as "sourness" (for lack of a better term) which comes through (from the aging?) and an underlying mineral-y sweetness similar to, say, a dark ti kuan yin. I also really enjoy the unique "dryness" of the aftertaste like in some pu-erhs. As mentioned in the description, this is a tea whose flavors really come through by letting it build slowly on your tongue through infusion after infusion. I really enjoy this a lot and will definitely be getting more to age even further! Two thumbs way up for this unique tea
|
|
